Flexible valve for mobile spray booths



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 14, 1952 INVENTOR.

y ARTHUR. C. SCHA/VZ mmw m qmmw M 15,, mm A. m. scm mmz FLEXIBLE VALVE FOR MOBILE SPRAY BOOTHS 2 Sheets-fined 2 Filed June l4, 1952 INVENTOR.

AR THUR. C. SCH/l NZ w By R mmx Uited States Pa nt FLEXIBLE VALVE FOR MOBILE SPRAY BOOTHS Arthur C. Schanz, Montclair, N. J., assignor to ACF Industries, Incorporated, a corporation of New J crsey Application .liune 14, 1952, Serial No. 293,561

2 Claims. (Cl. 98--115) This invention relates to paint spray booths and particularly to a continuous valve connection for a mobile or traveling spray booth such as shown in pending applications Serial Nos. 127,848, filed November 17, 1949 (now abandoned) and 247,488, filed September. 20, 1951.

The above applications show a traveling booth for spray-painting railway cars and the like from which the paint overspray and fumes are exhausted into a discharge trough coextensive with its path of movement and with which the booth is maintained in constant communication by a continuous flexible valve. The flexible valve is threaded through a series of rollers in the booth by which it is raised during movement thereof to continuously uncover that portion of the discharge trough beneath the booth through which the overspray is exhausted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a flexible continuous valve connection for a mobile spray booth as above described which eliminates the necessity of lifting the valve to continuously uncover the portion of the discharge trough beneath the booth.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a continuous valve of the type described which is extensible and retractable with movement of the booth to maintain the portions of the trough beyond the confines thereof closed at all times.

Still another object of the invention is to provide continuous flexible valve means connected at one end to and wound around spring-loaded reels mounted on the booth or at opposite ends of the discharge trough whereby to be extensible and retractable with movement of the booth for the purpose stated above.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view partly in section of the mobile spray booth and showing the preferred form of flexible valve connection as used therewith;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modified form of the flexible valve means, and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, the framing of the booth comprises upright columns or posts 4 connected together at their upper ends by horizontal members 6 and at their lower ends by sill-like members 8 extending beyond the ends of the booth to provide a base portion B. The structure and operation of the booth is substantially the same as the booth shown in the aforementioned pending applications, and hence only a brief description of it is here deemed necessary. The ends, top and outer side only of the booth framing are covered by sheet metal or similar paneling 10, thus forming a substantially closed structure except for the open inner side of the booth that is adjacent to and through which a surface or object (not shown) is spray-coated. The booth is mounted on wheels 12 running on rails 2343,66] i atented May 1, 1956 14 alongside the object to be sprayed and provided with a door (not shown) in one end wall.

The booth is equipped with an elevating platform 16 suspended by cables 13 over roller devices 20 on shaft 22 journaled in bearing members 24 on top of the booth. The shaft 22 is provided with gearing 26 by which the platform is operated in a manner similar to that disclosed in the aforesaid applications. The booth is provided with louvers 23 in the top and a lower working platform or floor in the form of a grating or grille 30 supported on angle members 331 secured to the posts 4 and is driven by a suitable motor 32 mounted on one end of base portion B. An outlet duct member 34 suitably secured to angles 31 and extending below the floor grating 30 is in constant communication with a discharge trough 36 beneath and coextensive with the rails 14, the bottom edges of the outlet member having slidable sealing engagement with angular shaped metal strips 38 defining the trough opening. The duct member 34 may be made of any suitable fairly stiff but flexible rubberized fabric material or the like forming a communicating conduit between the booth interior and the discharge trough 36. Spray pipes 40 connected with a suitable source of water pressure extend longitudinally in the discharge trough 36. A fan (not shown) in one end of the trough draws air into the booth through louvers 23 in the top and through the space between its open side and the surface being sprayed. The air flows downwardly through floor grating 3t) and outlet 34 into the discharge trough, as indicated by arrows in Figs. 1 and 2, carrying with it the paint overspray, which is removed from the air by the water spray from pipes 40 and disposed or in a manner as described in the aforementioned applications.

The continuous valve -t2 may be of any suitable flexible material, such as synthetic rubber belting or the like, which closes the portions of the discharge trough opening 38 beyond the ends of booth outlet 34 in any position of the booth relative to the trough. The flexible valve is retained in position covering the trough open ing by the strips 38 at the sides thereof and rest on longitudinally spaced bars 44 extending across the trough opening between the strips 38, as shown in Fig. 3. in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the flexible valves are anchored or secured at one end in any suit able manner to the ends of the discharge trough opening. The other end portions of the valves extend beneath and around guide rollers 46 carried by the booth adjacent the outlet and upwardly through a slot 48 of the required width in downwardly inclined sealing plates 50 arranged between the floor grating 3i the discharge trough. The valves are then connected at their ends to and wound around spring-loaded reels 52 sup ported on pedestals 54 mounted at opposite ends of the base portion B of the booth. Any suitable spring or resilient means of sufficient strength may be used to rotate the reels 5?. in a direction constantly drawing the valves taut over the trough opening. It will thus be seen that the valves are extensible and retractable with movement of the booth to maintain the portions of the discharge trough opening beyond the booth outlet closed at all times.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the reels 52 are located adjacent the ends of the discharge trough 36, either above the top of the trough as shown at the lefthand side of the View, or below it, as shown at the right-hand side of the view. The valves are maintained at one end in proper position by suitable guide rollers 56 located at the ends of the trough and have their other ends secured in any suitable manner interiorly of the booth, as indicated at 58, adjacent the booth outlet. The flexible valves are constantly drawn taut to cover the trough opening and will be extensible and retractable with movement of the-booth to maintain theportions of the trough beyond the confines thereof closed at all times, in a manner similar to that of the arrangement shown irr Fig'; l.

The invention may be modified in various respects as" will occur to those skilled in the art, and the'exclusive use of all such modifications that come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a mobile paint spray booth mountedon wheels running on rails and an open-topped discharge trough beneath the rails coextensive with the" path of movement of the booth, said booth including longitudinal'sill members" extending beyond the endsthereof to provide abase portion and having an open grille floor adjacent'thebottorn, an outlet duct member" depending from said open grille floor of the booth in constant communication with said discharge trough dur-' ing' movement of the booth for exhaust of'paint over= spray therefrom into the discharge trough, a spring actuated reel mounted on each end of said base portion exteriorly. of the booth adjacent opposite ends of said'outlet duct member, and a flat continuous flexible valve" member closing each section of the open top of the discharge trough between opposite ends thereof and each end of said outlet duct member beyond the confines of the booth, said flexible valve members having, their inner end portions longitudinally separated from each other a distance'at least equal to the length'of said outlet duct member and connected with and wound around said reels whereby to be extensible and retractable with movement of the booth to maintain said' sections of the discharge trough that are beyond the confines of the booth in any relative position of the' latter closed at all times.

2. In combination with a mobile paint spray booth mounted on wheels" running on rails and adischargefrom into the: discharge trough, spring-actuated reels mounted on opposite ends of said base portion of the booth, separate'flat continuous flexible valve members closing the sections of the discharge trough between opposite ends thereof'and each end of said outlet duct member beyond the confines of the booth, and guide rollers in the base portion of the booth below said reels adjacent the ends of said outlet duct member, saidfiexiblevvalve members having their inner end portions" extendingiaround said guide rollers" and connected with and wound around. said reels whereby to be extensible and retractable." with: movement of the booth: to maintain said section's ofthe'dischar'ge trough'beyond the confines of thetbooth closed at all times.

lieferencesfiited'in'the' file of this patent UNITED STATES. PATENTS 2,425,940 Iversonr Aug. 19, 1947 2,495,376 Lusk' Jan. 24; 1950 2,496,209 Hemming: Jan; 31, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 19583.8 Great- Britain Oct. 2, 1905 462,135 Germany July 5; 1928 

